After parents unload their packed-to-the-brim car full of dorm-life necessities, they normally say goodbye and drive away with their sentiments and a wave. Parents are hoping their now independent child will remember everything they taught them, but a college student can’t help but think of ways to take advantage of this newly-found freedom.Free-flowing keg parties come to mind.

Because it’s hard for most young people to monitor their alcohol consumption and slam nearly every drink they are handed like it’s their last, it’s easy to end up in a questionable alcohol poisoning situation.

And the last thing parents want after dropping their child off at college is a 3 a.m. phone call days later about an intense beer pong game gone wrong, followed by an alcohol-induced blackout and ambulance ride. However, this is a reality.

On Aug. 26, only days after students moved into the University Center, 525 S. State St., resident assistants have verified two dangerous incidents involving alcohol.

A student, who’ll remain anonymous, returned from an off-campus party with strange health symptoms. An RA was alerted and paramedics were called only to find out the student was drugged at the party the student attended.

The other incident involved a dorm party when RAs busted residents drinking and found a student who drank too much

alcohol and needed medical assistance.

Though RAs have confirmed these stories, Bob Brophy, director of residence life at the University Center, said ambulances were called, but these two specific instances did not happen. He continued to say he could not “confirm or deny anything,” to ensure students’ privacy.

Regardless of the specifics of these two stories, the fact that students are already boozing to this extent is extremely concerning. RAs who have seen previous waves of students said this new group is especially “rowdy” and party-oriented, especially because both incidents happened within the first week of living there.

It’s understandable new students feel the need to party because they are out from under their parents’ overbearing thumb for the first time, or just because they are celebrating their last days of summer before school starts. However, young people need to learn their limits and keep a close eye on their drink and remain aware at a party.

There are questionable people everywhere. Just because everyone at the party may look similar with either their hipster gear or state-school, hat-on-backward appearance, doesn’t mean they can’t have ulterior motives and slip something into a drink.

By not following the simple rules of drinking, a fun night on the town could turn into a stomach pumping session. So think again before leaving a drink unattended or polishing off the rest of the whiskey bottle because you never want to be “that” person at a party, and hospital gurneys are not comfortable.